Few are willing to deal fairly with Iran

The so-called "Green Revolution" in Iran was a small minority looking for a more Western lifestyle in a few urban centres such as Tehran.

That there was a clampdown is certainly true, and people were killed, but, given the usual Western-biased reporting on the country, it is far from clear how many casualties there were.

However, there is no doubt that the majority of Iranians support their government, which benefits from opposition to US-led sanctions and Israeli threats of violence.

What is also lacking in the attitude towards the region is fair and balanced dealing with all countries - the sort of diplomacy displayed by Turkey and Brazil in reaching agreement with Iran over its nuclear aspirations.